[chabot150]

Are you lotus owners satisfied with the high end speed of your cars? I am talking, 40-100 mph. I feel that this is one of the weaker points of the Lotus. Also, when answering, please state whether you have a base Elise, SC, or Exige. Thanks!

 

[qball]

You don't understand Lotus

 

[shokwaves]

Our cars have a fairly short wheelbase which makes it unstable at high speeds. Passed 120 the handling can start to get hairy and this is what I knew before I purchased it. I personally don't care to go beyond that often, but if I plan on doing it, I'd drive my boxster S, which does 130-140 very comfortably with the top up.

 

[chabot150]

You don't understand Lotus

I may not understand everything about Lotus, but that is why I am posting in the newbie forum. I understand that handling is the key. I was just curious to see your opinions on acceleration from 40ish to 100. That is all.

 

[aschen]

40ish to 100 aint bad. After about 90mph they fall on their faces.....fast enough for me however.

 

[Bavarian Motorist]

In a normal Elige (not heavily modified), it's all about being in the right gear at the right RPM. If you can handle that, you can be fast, but don't expect to punch it at 4000 RPM and go anywhere too quickly. You need to shift at redline to move.

Now 40 MPH is right at the bottom of 2nd gear (or at the VERY top of 1st, which is useless for accelerating), so that may be why you're not happy. Try 25 to 100.

I have a supercharged Elise.

 

[fitfan]

Are you lotus owners satisfied with the high end speed of your cars? I am talking, 40-100 mph. I feel that this is one of the weaker points of the Lotus. Also, when answering, please state whether you have a base Elise, SC, or Exige. Thanks!

base elsie and pull even with a 550 maranello 40-100, so... no complaints from me.

 

[...m...]

...up to one hundred a naturally-aspirated elise is plenty quick, and from one hundred to one-twenty we can still run with the large-displacement touring cars, although we begin to lag just a touch...really it's over one-twenty, and particularly one-thirty onward, that our cars are out of their element amongst contemporary high-power cars, and we really stretch to make those last twenty miles per hour before gearing out at one fifty-five...

...of course, we carry so much more speed through turns that unless it's a freeway cruise, top speed is fairly moot...

 

[Bavarian Motorist]

...up to one hundred a naturally-aspirated elise is plenty quick, and from one hundred to one-twenty we can still run with the large-displacement touring cars, although we begin to lag just a touch...really it's over one twenty, and particularly one-thirty onward, that our cars are out of their element amongst contemporary high-power cars, and we really stretch to make those last twenty miles per hour before gearing out at one fifty-five...

That's a bit generous. At about 120, you're really hitting the wall. 130 will take a long time from there compared to, say, a Cayman S.

 

[...m...]

That's a bit generous. At about 120, you're really hitting the wall. 130 will take a long time from there compared to, say, a Cayman S.

...i definitely feel things slowing down from 120-130, but it's not until pushing beyond 130-135 that she gets into 'i think i can, i think i can' territory - in my experience, that's where she's conspicuously incapable of running with the bigger guns...

...did you have any aero modifications back when you were naturally-aspirated?..have you had an opportunity to explore what sort of difference your MP-62 makes at high speeds?..

 

[xtn]

I have a 2006 naturally aspirated Exige. I'm not UNsatisfied with the higher speed acceleration, but I wouldn't be bitching if it was improved.

xtn

 

[fitfan]

i would say acceleration starts to exponetially drop off around 100... it pulls strong up to 90 though

 

[DWebb]

My base NA Elise has no problems hitting 120, gradually falls off from there due to the shift to 5th gear. She runs just fine at 8Krpm in 5th gear around 150, yet feels a wee bit unsettled in a cross wind or textured/uneven pavement. Interstate curves are really no problem at 135-140 ish range.

I wouldn't cry if it accelerated better but I can keep up with v8's just fine. Once I'm on high cam they just don't pull away enough that I'm disappointed.

The other day I had an encounter with an Audi R8. He didn't just walk away from me.
Heh, evidently he got scared before the Elise got weak. I was right on his a$$ up to 130.

On the other hand I got my a$$ handed to me by a 4WD 1ton diesel pick up at a red light. Some of these dudes have 10 sec trucks <sik>.

I would like to shave 1.5 sec off 0 - 60.

Ohhhh, how I rant. I'm just gonna shut up and drive my car.

 

[...m...]

I would like to shave 1.5 sec off 0 - 60.

...some of the three hundredish horsepower cars are seeing sixty miles per hour in three seconds plus change; only just, but still - anything less than four seconds is formidable in my opinion...

 

[paulhastings]

I would say 40-100 mph is the sweet spot. Both for N/A Elise and Exige S.

 

[darkSol]

Well of course the base NA Elise falls flat on it's face from 120mph+... the majority of the engine's horsepower is being used to push it's bigass drag footprint through the air...

0.42 drag coef x 16.5 sf frontal area...

Stock Elise = 167.7 whp

60mph: 167.7 total - 13.5 drag = 154.2 whp left to accelerate
80mph: 167.7 - 28.5 = 139.2
100mph: 167.7 - 52.6 = 115.1
120mph: 167.7 - 88.0 = 79.7 (less 1/2 of available power)
130mph: 167.7 - 110.0 = 57.7
140mph: 167.7 - 137.2 = 30.5
150mph: 167.7 - 167.7 = 0 (top speed)

Now for giggles let's see my TVS equipped 286.4whp beasty...

60mph: 286.4 total - 13.5 drag = 272.9 whp left to accelerate
80mph: 286.4 - 28.5 = 257.9
100mph: 286.4 - 52.6 = 233.8
120mph: 286.4 - 88.0 = 198.4
130mph: 286.4 - 110.0 = 176.4 (about as much as stock)
140mph: 286.4 - 137.2 = 149.2
150mph: 286.4 - 167.7 = 118.7
160mph: 286.4 - 202.4 = 84.0
170mph: 286.4 - 241.8 = 44.6
180mph: 286.4 - 286.1 = 0.3 (give or take top speed)

Of course gearing and power/torque peaks come into effect but it's a ballpark...

Basically power to weight makes you move... low aero drag / high horsepower makes you accelerate at higher mph...

 

[holmz]

Well of course the base NA Elise falls flat on it's face from 120mph+... the majority of the engine's horsepower is being used to push it's bigass drag footprint through the air...

0.42 drag coef x 16.5 sf frontal area...

Stock Elise = 167.7 whp

60mph: 167.7 total - 13.5 drag = 154.2 whp left to accelerate
80mph: 167.7 - 28.5 = 139.2
100mph: 167.7 - 52.6 = 115.1
120mph: 167.7 - 88.0 = 79.7 (less 1/2 of available power)
130mph: 167.7 - 110.0 = 57.7
140mph: 167.7 - 137.2 = 30.5
150mph: 167.7 - 167.7 = 0 (top speed)

Now for giggles let's see my TVS equipped 286.4whp beasty...

60mph: 286.4 total - 13.5 drag = 272.9 whp left to accelerate
80mph: 286.4 - 28.5 = 257.9
100mph: 286.4 - 52.6 = 233.8
120mph: 286.4 - 88.0 = 198.4
130mph: 286.4 - 110.0 = 176.4 (about as much as stock)
140mph: 286.4 - 137.2 = 149.2
150mph: 286.4 - 167.7 = 118.7
160mph: 286.4 - 202.4 = 84.0
170mph: 286.4 - 241.8 = 44.6
180mph: 286.4 - 286.1 = 0.3 (give or take top speed)

Of course gearing and power/torque peaks come into effect but it's a ballpark...

Basically power to weight makes you move... low aero drag / high horsepower makes you accelerate at higher mph...

Dave where did you get the values for frontal area and Cd?
Good post by the way!
(Moral of the story is if you want to fast get a vette)

 

[streetraces]

I have no complaints about the 40-100.

 

[Tracktimeplz]

My turbo car would rip past 130 no problem, only ever had it to 145 or so. From 60-120 I could pull on 600 bikes....

 

[ItsThaMonsta]

I can accelerate pretty quickly and impressively to 120 (NA Elise). Like someone else said, the problem with 40 mph is that its the end of 1st and beginning of 2nd so you really need to start your pull at about 25mph in 1st. Every time I get the super lead foot on a long straight I punch it until I think the rapid accel slows. And at that point I always look down and Im just above 120. If your cruising and you want instant accel you just have to know which gear to down shift into since we lack the torque.